On a recent trip to Kenya I was reminded how diverse the aloe family is–apparently there are hundred of species. And while many share a resemblance to the Aloe vera plant that we might grown as houseplants, for some aloes that grow as big as trees, the sky is literally the limit. Some of the rosettes shown are several feet across! So here are a few photos I took at the small botanical garden at the Nairobi Museum. Not all plants had tags identifying them. There were some interesting succulents too, and I’ve included those.

Sundews(droseras) are among the most beguiling of the carnivorous plants. Unlike the toothed Venus Flytraps, or or the open-mouthed pitcher plants they seduce softly with sparkling pinkish-red globules that suggest pleasure, rather than pain. What’s amazing is that these tiny treasures have adapted to a wide range of environments and can be found in many countries and habitats around the world.

While I haven’t had much experience cultivating sundews, its always thrilling to look for them in the wild. Here I share pictures from two very different habitats, that nevertheless have something in common..both are capes and among the most beautiful spots in the world. Nevertheless, both are harsh austere environments with wide temperature swings, where only the most tenacious plants can thrive.

An escarpment of Table Mountain, South Africa

Table Mountain is simply majestic and inspiring…there are few words that can describe it. Proteas and other southern Africa flora, most endemic to this region, and some to Table Mountain itself, can be found here. One sunny afternoon in November,2008 as I explored the mountain top, I came across several patches of wet soil that sparkled with a soft greenish rosettes,tinged along the edges in deep pink–sundews!

Sundews on Table Mountain

Beautiful wide leave rosettes

Next, we travel to the furthermost point of Cape Cod, the ‘far lands’ of Provincetown, Massachusetts. These photos were taken in early fall, where sundews grow along the edges of the wild cranberry bogs in acidic peaty soil. In the photos, the tiny dark specks you see on some of the leaves are the remains of insects! You can see how the growth habit and leaf shape is remarkably different from their Table Mountain cousins. In this habitat, the sundews go dormant over the winter.

Almost at the tip of Cape Cod-sundews grow less than a mile from the ocean